Facts About the Gumball Tree

During the fall, gumball trees (Liquidambar styraciflua) provide lawns with spectacular colors. The tall-growing plant dazzles with its orange, red, yellow and purple autumn foliage. The tree’s other common names include sweetgum, star-leaved gum, alligator-wood, gumtree and redgum. It is native to the Mid-Atlantic region, the Southeast and parts of Mexico and Central America.

General Characteristics

The crown of a gumball tree begins growing in a pyramidal shape. After several years, the tree begins to spread out more into an irregular rounded shape. The bark is corky, furrowed and grayish-brown. In lawn settings, trees grow up to about 60 feet tall with a 20- to 25-foot spread. In the wild, gumball trees can reach over 100 feet tall. Foliage includes palmate star-shaped leaves with five to seven points. Leaves are dark green and glossy during late spring through late summer until they start to turn colors in the fall. The flowers of the tree are yellow-green, small and inconspicuous.

Fruit

The fruit of gumball trees are spiky round balls that are 1 to 1.5 inches in diameter. They resemble the top of a medieval mace weapon and are painful when stepped on with bare feet. The fruit starts off as green and turns brown by the time it falls to the ground. Frequent raking may be necessary to keep lawns clear of fruit from large trees. Gardeners who do not want to the spiny fruit of the tree can purchase a fruitless round-lobed cultivar, Liquidambar styraciflua “Rotundiloba,” from nurseries.

Growing Conditions

Gumballs provide great shade for lawns and parks. The trees are also good windbreakers. In the wild, the tree grows near swamps, streams and ponds. It fares well in several climates including U.S. Department of Agriculture Plant Hardiness Zones 8 and 9. The trees can survive a variety of soil conditions but grow best in moist, well-drained acidic soil of loam, clay or sand. You can propagate the tree from seedlings or small trees in pots from nurseries. Pests that may cause problems for gumball trees include sweetgum webworm, sweetgum blight and scale. The tree may also suffer damage from frost.

Uses

Gumball trees are important to the timber industry. The timber industry uses the trees for many purposes including lumber, plywood, pulp, fuel and railroad ties. Other uses include furniture, flooring, veneer, wooden dishes, interior trim and paper. Early American pioneers used resin from the tree’s bark to make chewing gum. Confederate soldiers used the resin to help treat dysentery. The Aztecs used the resin in a tobacco mix for smoking. In Asia and Europe, the resin was useful for incense, perfume and as an ingredient in medicines for diphtheria.

About the Author

Lauren Miller has more than 10 years of experience as a writer and editor. Her articles on technology, small business and legal topics have appeared in magazines, newspapers and trade journals. She has a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy and is an avid gardener and sports fan.